Teaching in nursery: affection, care and sharing a feeling with babies

Abstract

This study is the result of institutional research seeking to understand how the sensitive encounters that occur between babies and adults in nursery are implicated in the subjective constitution of both baby and teacher, deepening the discussions about the development of an affective teaching. From a methodological point of view, the research is anchored in cartography, supported by the propositions of Eduardo Passos, Virginia Kastrup and Liliana Escóssia; and the concepts of exotopy and alterity, inspired by Mikhail Bakhtin. The study stems from a series of proposals that recognize nursery as a right for babies. Its relevance is justified in dialogue with investigations in the field of early childhood education and legal documents emphasizing relations as a pedagogical principle in the day-to-day life of institutions. The discussion of the work highlights the relational affect dimension of the right in its political aspect, aligned with care as ethics. In conversation with Daniel Stern, he points out babies' right to eye contact, collective attention, emotional attunement, and shared feelings. Affection is identified as a central element in the subjective constitution of babies and teachers, as well as in nursery’s pedagogical efforts.